'Hannibal' doesn't belong on network TV

I'll tell you something, if the networks wanted to really upgrade the
programming they should dump all those stupid reality shows, talk about driving
someone to the point of homicide.

Secondly I find Hannibal no worse
than The Following and probably better written.

Lastly, if KSL is
really about preserving prime time TV, why not simply move the show to a late
night slot?

statmanLehi, UT

May 6, 2013 3:55 p.m.

A couple points:

Censorship is government imposed, not a tv station
choosing not to air a controversial show.

The 'free agency'
argument is bunk. Going down that road, anything and everything should be okay
on public airwaves - kiddie porn, snuff movies, everything. Any public
standards take away from agency, right?

I'm a big fan of some
violent shows - Breaking Bad, Sopranos, Supernatural, etc. I watched part of the
first episode of Hannibal and found it to be disturbing enough that I
couldn't watch any more. If it disturbs me, that's saying something.
If the producers of the show want to put it n HBO or Showtime, no one would
argue about it at all.

MormonSeanSalt Lake City, UT

May 6, 2013 12:01 a.m.

Cedarcreek320,

Censorship doesn't take away freedom. Taking it
off the airwaves does not take away one's moral agency.

You
don't own KSL, I don't own KSL. We don't decide what goes on KSL.
The owner of KSL and KSL get to decide. THAT is what preserves agency. THEY
choose because THEY own it. And we all have the right to say "we support the
decision" or not to. Did agency get taken away in any of that? No.

one old manOgden, UT

May 5, 2013 1:59 p.m.

Good article and exactly right. (And it's a cold day in July when I find
myself agreeing with John C Spring.)

Is the increase in violent and
other disgusting kinds of TV just the beginning of one more thing that will help
bring down America as we know it? Will it wind up with a completely out of
control situation involving the First Amendment as we now have with the
Second?

Or will we find the collective wisdom to get garbage off the
air NOW? I don't watch this junk, but I'm still affected by it
indirectly. Sort of like second hand smoke. We found the courage to limit
that, let's do the same with violent and disgusting TV.

Unfortunately, I don't see much hope for any form of collective wisdom in
this nation. Maybe we can turn to the NRA for help since they seem to want to
blame all our ills with gun violence on TV.

EmjaySomewhere in Time, UT

May 3, 2013 7:17 p.m.

Dear Mormoncowboy: Dr. Victor Kline, a professor at U of U, did extensive
studies regarding sex and violence on TV and concluded that they desensitize
human beings to violence and lead to more violence in society. His research is
highly respected even to the point that when he was scheduled to testify before
the Commerce Subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives, the opposition
tried to get him eliminated from the hearing because they knew his testimony
would be so powerful they wouldn't be able to attack it or discredit his
research. That is a fact. I worked on that committee.

JanSanPocatello, ID

May 3, 2013 3:48 p.m.

I get a kick out of people yelling.."if you don't like it just turn the
channel". The problem is that you turn the channel then turn the channel
then turn the channel etc etc. Between the sex and violence there are hardly any
channels worth watching out there anymore. I have just as much right to be able
to turn on my TV and find good programs to watch as those who want to watch sex
and violence do. I am grateful for KSL for doing this. At least I know there is
one channel that has some values still left in it programming.

KralonHUNTINGTON BEACH, CA

May 3, 2013 1:07 p.m.

I have to agree with the article author (Jim Bennett) on this one. I have
watched and enjoyed other violent shows such as 'Breaking Bad' and
'Dexter' and 'Hannibal' is a new level of violence and does
not belong on network TV.

The purpose and type of violence does make
a difference and 'Hannibal' is more disturbing than anything I've
seen on TV before. One way of maintaining an interested audience is by pushing
boundaries which is what 'Hannibal' is doing, but I view it similar to
swearing - as the last resort of a feeble mind.

MormoncowboyProvo, Ut

May 3, 2013 10:52 a.m.

John Charity Spring:

Please name one such study.

I'm
usually a critic of the Church, but I don't see any problem with this. KSL
is a privately owned station and has the right to market the products it would
like. If KSL were trying to take some kind of legal action preventing any
network from running the show, that would be a problem, but as it stands they
have a right to air the content to deem to do.

Che26SALT LAKE CITY, UT

May 3, 2013 9:28 a.m.

I'm not sure what shows you are watching. But Hannibal is far worse then
anything I have seen on broadcast television, and I watch a lot of TV. Hannibal
rivals the violence of some cabal channels and the violence they produce.

Say what you will about KSL taking Hannibal out of the line-up, but
there is no doubt this is a new level of violence for broadcast television.

It is interesting that this coincides with the FCC stating the want to
lower broadcast television standards because their tired of reading complaints.
Heaven forbid they actually do their jobs and then maybe they wouldn't
receive as many complaints.

Palmetto BugColumbia, SC

May 3, 2013 4:45 a.m.

I've only seen a couple episodes of Hannibal, and while it may be violent,
the violence on the show is no worse than what can be found elsewhere on network
TV. The show airs at 10:00 EST, which time slot is typically reserved for more
mature programming once kids have gone to bed. The mountain time zones air these
programs at 9:00, before kids go to bed, which may be part of the problem.

chinamomCottonwood Heights, UT

May 2, 2013 10:37 p.m.

Hmmmm....Hugh Dancy...."relative newcomer" ????.....Perhaps I am
mis-interpreting what the columnist is trying to say (newcomer to the show?) ,
but Mr Dancy has been acting for YEARS. Just check his online Bio to see the
list of his work...mostly BBC, but also big-screen USA movies (Confessions of a
Shopaholic, The Jane Austen BookClub, Ella Enchanted to name a few). Perhaps
the columnist should do a bit more homework......

John Charity SpringBack Home in Davis County, UT

May 2, 2013 9:01 p.m.

This is not a mere matter of free agency. Anyone who claims that it is is either
trying to fool themselves, the public, or both.

Study after study
confirms that viewers of violent entertainment engage in violent acts themselves
at far higher rates than the general public. Indeed, the studies confirm that
this applies to all types of violence, including domestic violence and sexual
violence. That is the reason why this is a much bigger issue than mere "free
agency."

In essence, the entire public pays a terrible cost for
the so-called right of the minority to entertain itself by watching violence
presented as entertainment. Certain members of the community become victims of
violence, while all members pay the cost in terms of broken families, disease,
and increased taxes to pay for law enforcement and social services.

Shame on the producers of violent entertainment, and shame on those who chose
to watch it and then inflict violence on others. Both groups deserve swift and
severe condemnation.

Henry DrummondSan Jose, CA

May 2, 2013 5:13 p.m.

In the past when KSL passed on a show it could still be seen on another cable
channel. I suspect that is what is going to happen here. You can still exercise
your "free agency." I would hate to see the day come when parents felt
they had to put a "parental control" lock on a station like KSL.

HutteriteAmerican Fork, UT

May 2, 2013 4:20 p.m.

KSL never makes a wrong call in this neighbourhood, eh? It isn't just the
state that can take on the role of nanny.

Cedarcreek320Star Valley Ranch, WY

May 2, 2013 4:18 p.m.

What happened to "Free Agency"? If you don't like it, don't
watch it.

james d. morrisonBoise, CA

May 2, 2013 4:14 p.m.

The same night I'm flipping through the channel and see some disturbing
scenes on Hannibal, they also had Scandal on tv at the same time with a guy
doing torture killing a la Dexter. A very disturbing night on tv.